Wendy Vecchi Clock for Simon says Stamp and Show

I've made a clock similar to this before, using the other 3 flowers out of this Maya Road chipboard album and I have been meaning to make a 2nd clock for ages to give to my Mum. So as it's Wendy Vecchi week at Simon says Stamp and Show I thought now is the time.

I used loads of Maya Road mini chipboard shapes and cut flowers from grungepaper. Some idea-ology, plenty of colour and background stamps. It's easy but takes time to colour each piece and figure out what goes where. Well worth the effort in the end though. And I love the concept of the 2 decorated flowers with the clock in the middle.

I also wanted to mention the Wendy Vecchi Flickr Group that I started a while back with Wendy's permission. Slowly people join and add their creations but I'd like it to be more for more great Wendy art to admire. So if you are a regular on Flickr then come and join us here.

Stamptember @ Simon Says Stamp and Show

How cool, a whole month dedicated to stamping, not that I make an exception the rest of the year but you know, it's a good excuse to spend even more money on new stamps and boy have I been spending money in the past few weeks. I should save a little for the upcoming Ally Pally Show.

So I have been putting aside little bits for this printer tray for a while now. Everytime I made sth special or sth I just really liked I made a note for it to go in the tray.

I used some of my favourite stamps and photos, tried different techniques and inks and paints. But my favourite is the centerpiece, the photo f my mum. I just love it. I made it in the style of a card I made and that was published in the recent Stamper's Sampler. So it doesn't just remind me of my mum but also of my craft achievements. Double special!
There's pictures of my dad and my sister too, little sayings, a rusty birdcage, a bird Wendy style, grungblocks, a grungepaper rose etc. Lots to discover and a celebration of anything crafty, just right for Stamptember. So I am entering this into the Simon says Stamp and Show Challenge.

New Dina Wakeley Stamp

Today I just wanna share a little moleskine journal with you, I used my new Dina Wakley stamp, the stamp I had to chase the postie down the road for (see previous post!).

That stamp combined with a sentiment from a Wendy Vecchi stamp set just works perfectly. Very quick and easy little present to make, if you're ever stuck for a little something to give away.

I am entering this into the Fashionable Stamping Challenges as well as Sir Stampalot Challenge.

Love Wendy Vecchi style art? Check this out....

Come and have a look at the new Wendy Vecchi group on flickr where you can upload and share your art for inspiration and chat to other lovers of Wendy's stamp. Wendy has been so kind to give me permission to start this group as it's been long overdue. So check it out HERE!!!

A bunch of challenges..... and new Wendy stamps

It's been a while since I've entered any of my favourite weekly challenges, so this week I just had to make the time.
First of all there is the Coffe and Cream Challenge at Simon says Stamp. Also the soon ending Compendium Challenge over at Studio L3, where we are using alcohol inks on metal embellies this week. And last but not least there is the Stripes challenge at Simon says Stamp and Show.

My card is a bit of a loose interpretation of the stripes challenge, I did make my own stripey background though, using one of Wendy's new sets.
Ok I admit it's a fairly quick card this but crafting time is still rare at the moment.

So excited I get to meet the one and only Tim Holtz on Friday, cant wait!!!!

Winter butterfly frame...

I'm back!!! Yes, I have neglected my blog a lot but as I said earlier when you work 66 hours a week there is little time for crafting!

I am still working the same hours but nevertheless want to share some more of my craft creations with you! This is a frame I made weeks ago as a present.
I like the white frame with the pinkish shimmer and how it contrasts the butterfly. It's a simple project, just get yourself some white distress crackle paint and off you go!

Watch this space for more crafty creations, my first craft stamper reader submission, my first Alter it monthly contribution and my first blogaversary candy! Exciting stuff!!

My Wendy Vecchi Stamps album.....

Over at Wee Memories this week we are "casing our favourite".... so I thought it'll either be something Tim Holtz or Wendy Vecchi as they are both favourites of mine.
So I went for a storage album for my Wendy Vecchi stamps. I know you can get the clear acrylic albums for her stamps but I find them a bit pricey for what they are so I just made my own album.
Simply cut some chunky cardboard to size and cover with plain cream card, then distress the edges with ink and I used grungeboard letters. I inked them all in different colours and stamped random background stamps over them in true Wendy style.








Add some 2" rings to make it into an album. I could do with bigger rings really as I have more stamps than fit in this album, but I may just have to make another one.

My first Art Parts creation....

TA DA!!! My first Art Parts creation....
I got rather excited when I picked these up at the Stamp and Scrapbooking Show and I finally got a chance to play with them.
I wasn't too sure how to work them, I inked them with pigment ink but the edges where they've been cut where shining through dark, so I decided to paint them with acrylic first and then ink them and then just stamp on them. Have not before painted things in a light colour and then inked them, always seem to be working straight onto chipboard but it works well, gives a nice strong colour. I wanted to sneak in a flower made from Maya Road wings like Wendy suggested on her blog recently, but instead the wings ended up as leaves for the flower. Also popped in a few snowflakes as flowers.






Before I decided on the above design though I spent hours moving art parts round my desk and trying to decide what to do. I first covered the frame in tissue tape and then I had to learn the hard way that crackle paint just comes off the tissue tape when dry.

Maybe I'll try inking the tissue tape next time, still got the round frame of the art parts.

So, anyway, I am entering this into The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog Challenge for the month where the theme is Layer it on, and OMG are there a lot of layers on this frame, the flower alone is 5 chipboard layers high.

Sunday Stampers and more christmas cards

The Sunday Stampers theme this week is Black.... so I wanted to join in with my christmas card making and thought of how to make a black christmas card, it's not a very festive colour after all is it?

So I got my perfect pearls out cause gold is christmassy. And that's what I've come up with. I had to add some white in to give it a bit of contrast, I hope that's ok. I let Hels be the judge if it's worthy of the Sunday Stampers this week.





I also experimented with the same card design and made it up in a krafty coloured, distressed look. I do like them both actually.

And here is some more christmas cards...... yes, lots of christmas cards!!!

You can see I recently got the Wendy Vecchi christmas set and I am loving the tiny type background wishing you a merry christmas. It goes with everything!

Back from my blogaholiday with my first ever twinchie.....

I seem to have taken a bit of a blogaholiday, didn't mean to but there was a severe lack of crafted things to blog about as I've been busy working on one of my stamper of the year items. It's now almost finished and I'm busy thinking up item number 2. Hard work that is. Anyone else out there taking part?
I have also (finally) started making xmas cards, about time!!! I'll be posting some designs soon.

I have also made my first ever twinchie this week. It's for the craft stamper twinchie swap and I combined it with the Compendium of curiosities challenge, grungepaper flowers! You may not be able to tell from the upside down photo on the left, but I embossed the grungepaper. Not bad for a first twinchie I reckon.

Also having a very busy two weeks at work with kids cast change happening so plenty of rehearsals, so not much time to craft. Well, I'm off to bed now! Nitey! xxx

Wendy style notebook - another challenge at Simon says

This week at the new Simon says stamp and show we are creating Wendy Vecchi inspired pieces. No need to think about it I just got making with the Wendy stamps I recently bought (already planning the next order, they are so amazing!).
I had a few papers and covers for the bind it all machine lying around so I thought I make a notebook, it's using the 7.5" x 5" covers. The decorating bit was easy, the binding however wasn't. I can't find my instructions for the machine so I tried to work it out myself and went totally wrong. Never mind, I somehow rescued it and next time I'll have to find my instructions first!!! Practice makes perfect, eh?

So this is for the Simon says stamps and show challenge as well as Wee Memories challenge where the theme is Buttons, brads and bling. I used some more of the vintage buttons I bought of ebay recently.

Now back to the crafting table, I am working on another Wendy piece this week, see if it's finished in time I'll enter it into the challenge as well.

I'm feeling so bluuuueeeeee.....

Summertime Blues is the theme at Simon says stamp so I thought I join in with this little fabric card. Only recently started stamping onto fabric, and I used shimmer misters to colour the fabrics.
This card was really quick and easy but I think the strong blue works really well on a white card.
I'm off to craft some more. Laters!

Wendy inspired birthday cards.....

I'm still not bored of my Wendy stamps, so here is a few creations:

They are all using the vintage buttons I bought loads of. Especially loving the chunky red-orange upholstery buttons. They are so chunky I don't think the card will fit in an envelope.

Sunday Stampers - Old and New

When I got back from Spain with my market finds like the wooden measure and old keyholes n stuff I already had this design in my mind, I just had to make an A out of the measure. Little did I know at the same time Hels was making an "Art" frame for Sunday Stampers and the theme is old and new. That's pretty creepy.
So I went ahead using old bits like the key, snaps, fabric tape measure etc and combining it with new things like the piece of chain, the vial (I poured some alcohol ink into this) and one of my new Wendy Vecchi stamps.
And there we go, an arty frame worthy of Sunday Stampers (I think) and it's also being entered into the Artistic Stamper challenge.

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #8

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Originally uploaded by Anikraft

Yippie it's monday, not just my day off and therefore declared craft day but also a new compendium challenge.

So this week we are inking grunge, funny that, I've kinda been doing that the past few days as is. Now I have to apologize for the bad photo, I will retake the picture with daylight some time this week. It's just that I won't have time tomorrow when I normally take my photos, I am off to Ikea to stock up on frames and mirrors to alter! Better take a big bag!

Also apologies for the picture being inserted from flickr, it just didn't want to be the right way up when inserted here so I uploaded it there instead and inserted it that way. Anyway....

So I just got a bunch of Wendy Vecchi stamps (finally!!!! been waiting for back orders for ages!) and gave them a little test run. More cards to be blogged this week.

And OMG I just got the most amazing parcel this morning. I bought a whole lot of vintage buttons from ebay, they are still on their cards. Pretty funky. Had to use some straight away for my flowers. And I may have to share some in another candy so watch this space.

Ta da! xxx

Wendy Vecchi inspired birthday card

A quick post today, jut a little birthday card for my grandma.
It's done Wendy style without any actual Wendy stamps. I do enjoy her style, it's the vibrant colours I think and the many patterns used on even the smallest flower.

Wendy Vecchi inspired ATC's

I've recently purchased one of Wendy Vecchi's idea books and felt the urge to try some of her ideas. I don't actually have many Wendy stamps yet but so desperately waiting on a back order from the US. They should hurry up, stampers have needs!!!
But in the meantime I came up with these ATC's using various background stamps and some Hero Arts ones. I just love them Maya Road frames, they are a new favourite. And I love the colour of Wendy's work/my ATC's.









These three are a little darker but I still really like them. Loving the grungeboard alphas. The one on the left was actually an attempt to do some water stamping (you can just tell under the black stamping) but it didn't show much so I stamped over it and got a fab almost bleeding ink effect.

All I can say is that I WANT MY WENDY STAMPS NOW!!!!!